Nobel Peace Prize 2009

Today the members of the Norwegian Royal House attended the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall, at which US President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

Barack Obama was awarded for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Norwegian Nobel Committee accentuated the importance of the President’s vision

“Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.”

(Official statement by the Nobel Committee)

On early Thursday President Obama and his wife First Lady Michelle Obama were granted an audience at the Royal Palace where they met the Royal and the Crown Princely Couple in the Bird Room.

The Award ceremony started at 1 o’clock at Oslo City Hall. Nearly 1,000 guests attended it. President Obama’s speech before the audience lasted 35 minutes. During the Award ceremony the Norwegian opera singer Solveig Kringlebotn and the Norwegian pianist Håvard Gimse performed, jazz artist Esperanza Spalding and Chinese master pianist Lang Lang performed.

This evening the Royal Couple will attend the Nobel Banquet in the Mirror Room at the Grand Hotel in honour of the winner. For the first time the Crown Princely couple will be in attendance, too.

The Nobel Peace Prize Concert will be held tomorrow, December 11th, in the Oslo Spektrum. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will attend the concert, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith will host this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

You can find a thread here.

Filed under Norway
Tagged Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Harald V of Norway, Michelle Obama, Nobel Prize, President Obama of the United States, Queen Sonja of Norway.